Narrative:

On a night flight from fcm around the msp TCA to D97 I flew via the pine bend refinery. D97 is approximately 5 NM nnw of pine bend. As I passed over the refinery (flying from the south to the north), I called out my intention on the unicom frequency for D97. I received a call that I was not on the D97 frequency. The communication switch was not set to the radio set up for the D97 unicom. At this point I still did not have the airport in sight. I looked back into the cockpit, made the radio change and call. I looked back outside the aircraft and continued to look forward and to the left for the airport. I traveled a couple of more mi and not finding the airport where I thought it would be, with unfamiliar ground lights, I made a 90 degree turn to the east. About 15 seconds after wings level flts, I spotted the airport (D97) ahead and off my left wing about a half mi away. I believe the radio distraction, a slight drift to the west, focusing on a area where I thought the airport should be, and not scanning the entire forward area that led to a slight disorientation and the possibility of intrusion into the msp TCA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED AND FLEW INTO THE MSP TCA.

Narrative: ON A NIGHT FLT FROM FCM AROUND THE MSP TCA TO D97 I FLEW VIA THE PINE BEND REFINERY. D97 IS APPROX 5 NM NNW OF PINE BEND. AS I PASSED OVER THE REFINERY (FLYING FROM THE S TO THE N), I CALLED OUT MY INTENTION ON THE UNICOM FREQ FOR D97. I RECEIVED A CALL THAT I WAS NOT ON THE D97 FREQ. THE COM SWITCH WAS NOT SET TO THE RADIO SET UP FOR THE D97 UNICOM. AT THIS POINT I STILL DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I LOOKED BACK INTO THE COCKPIT, MADE THE RADIO CHANGE AND CALL. I LOOKED BACK OUTSIDE THE ACFT AND CONTINUED TO LOOK FORWARD AND TO THE L FOR THE ARPT. I TRAVELED A COUPLE OF MORE MI AND NOT FINDING THE ARPT WHERE I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE, WITH UNFAMILIAR GND LIGHTS, I MADE A 90 DEG TURN TO THE E. ABOUT 15 SECS AFTER WINGS LEVEL FLTS, I SPOTTED THE ARPT (D97) AHEAD AND OFF MY L WING ABOUT A HALF MI AWAY. I BELIEVE THE RADIO DISTR, A SLIGHT DRIFT TO THE W, FOCUSING ON A AREA WHERE I THOUGHT THE ARPT SHOULD BE, AND NOT SCANNING THE ENTIRE FORWARD AREA THAT LED TO A SLIGHT DISORIENTATION AND THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRUSION INTO THE MSP TCA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.